The Lost Champions
by ghostface4
Summary: Five people, each a different species, wake up not knowing why or how they got there. The answers can only be found in the great land that lies before them, where they'll finish the task they started long ago. Breath of the Wild fic
1. Chapter 1

He didn't know where he was or how he got there. All he knew was that he'd been awoken by a strange voice that had called his name and he'd opened his eyes to find himself in a dark chamber lined with strange designs.

The blonde boy, Link (that's what the voice said. Yes, that sounded right) looked around to get a better look at his surroundings and noticed several other pools just like his. Before he could investigate, three of the occupants rose. Link was taken slightly aback by their strange appearances: a rock-like creature, a tall woman with bronze skin and fiery red hair and a man-sized blue bird.

"Oh man, I feel like I've been asleep for the last hundred years." The rock creature groaned.

"I'm up, I'm up, let me just get some coffee…" The tall woman moaned.

"Mother, I don't want to go to school today." The bird complained.

As the three got their bearings, Link noticed that the fourth occupant had yet to rise. Struck by worry for reasons he did not know, Link went over and looked inside, discovering a beautiful fish girl with red and white scales. He didn't know why but his heart skipped a beat and a strange warmth flooded through when he saw her. Slowly, her amber eyes opened and met with his own.

"I…I had a dream about you." She said.

The five looked at each other. By all accounts, they were total strangers but at the same time, they each had a nagging feeling that they knew each other.

"Does anybody know what's going on?" The rock creature asked.

"Are we going to be forced to kill each other to earn the right to escape?" The bird asked.

Before they could debate that, a pedestal suddenly glowed blue. Link slowly approached it and it revealed a strange tablet-like device

"That is a Shiekah Slate. Take it. It will help you all after your long slumber." The voice said.

Link removed the Slate from its pedestal and the screen blinked to life. He and the others all had a feeling they'd seen it before. Suddenly, a door opened. They slowly made their way out, their senses on high alert but the room was empty, save for large crates and chests containing old clothes which Link, Urbosa and Revali donned. However, a large door blocked their way.

"Well, now what do we do?" Revali asked.

"I could try to open it." Daruk volunteered.

He began to move towards the door but Link raised a hand to stop him. The human boy moved towards a pedestal by the door, which began glowing once he got near enough.

"Hold the Shiekah Slate up to the pedestal." The voice instructed. "That will show you the way."

Link did as he was told and the pedestal reacted accordingly.

"Authenticating…Sheikah Slate confirmed." It droned.

An eye symbol on the door glowed blue and it slowly opened, filling the room with sunlight.

"Link…Mipha…Urbosa…Revali…Daruk…you all are the light-our light-that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now go…"

The five warily went up the steps towards the outside. Link took Mipha's hand.

"Don't be afraid." He told her.

"I won't." She replied.

Link led Mipha out, holding her hand in a way that felt so familiar to the two of them. Soon, the five of them were out, their eyes straining against the sun. They were greeted by a lush forested landscape with the silhouette of mountains, a volcano and a castle in the distance.

"Now there's a pretty picture." Daruk said with a whistle.

Urbosa frowned as she looked at the castle, taking note of the strange clouds swirling around it.

"Does that seem familiar to anyone?" She asked, pointing.

The others looked and were filled with feelings of anger, apprehension, dread and even fear. Revali attempted to brush those feelings off by taking notice of temple, a campfire and figure in the distance.

"There's somebody over there." He said pointing.

"Let's go. We might get some answers." Urbosa said.

The group ran over to the campfire and found an old man with a long white beard and a red cloak sitting next to it.

"Well, you're an unusual lot. It's rare to see several species of Hyrule together in one group." He told them.

"Hyrule?" Link asked.

"That's where we are. This is-or should I say, was-the kingdom of Hyrule."

"That…sounds familiar." Mipha mused.

"I imagine you've been saying that a lot recently." The old man chuckled.

"Sir, this is going to sound insane," Link interjected. "But we just woke up in an underground chamber by a voice saying that we're this land's only hope."

"That does sound hard to swallow," The old man admitted. "But I've heard and seen far stranger things."

"Look, it seems like you're the only person around for miles, so if you have any answers, we'd like to hear them." Urbosa said somewhat impatiently.

"Yes, yes, I imagine you do. Sadly, the best I can do is point you in the direction of the temple over there."

"Are there going to be answers there?"

"Maybe. But you won't find out until you look."

Urbosa let out an angry snarl, grabbed Link and Mipha by their arms and dragged them off towards the temple. Revali shot the old man the stink eye, kicked some dirt at his campfire and marched off after Urbosa. Daruk gave the man an apologetic shrug and followed his companions.

"Seems a hundred years in that shrine hasn't changed any of you a bit." The old man chuckled to himself.

The group eventually made it to the temple which, aside from being old and abandoned, did not seem like it would be helpful to them in anyway.

"I knew I should've pressed that old man harder." Urbosa grumbled.

"Come now, surely there must be something helpful in that temple." Mipha said. Revali rolled his eyes skeptically.

Link wasn't listening. The mysterious voice was speaking to him again.

"Link…Link. Head for the point marked on the map on your Shiekah Slate."

Link did as he was told and found the glowing point on the slate's blank map.

"Whatcha lookin' at, little guy?" Daruk asked.

"This way. Follow me." Link told the others before running off down the temple's weathered stairs.

"Sure. Why not? What's one more wild goose chase?" Revali asked as he and others dashed after Link.

They ran down the hill and across a clearing that had a large pile of rocks at one end. Link looked at the map again and saw that that's where the glowing point was.

"Over there. At those rocks." Link told his companions as they caught up with him. "That's where we need to-"

He suddenly cried out in pain and fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. On a small hill by the rocks, a small group of red skinned creatures with pig-like features squealed and jabbered triumphantly.

"Attacking from behind. The cowards!" Daruk growled before charging towards them. "You'll pay for that!"

"Are you all right?" Urbosa asked, dropping to her knees next to the fallen Link.

"Well, I'm not dead." Link said through gritted teeth. "But it hurts like hell. Is it bad?"

"Let me see." Mipha moved her hand over the wound to pull down Link's shirt when suddenly, her hand emitted a brilliant light that caused the arrow and Link's wound to vanish.

"How did you do you that?" Revali asked in amazement.

"I…I don't know…" Mipha said, looking at her hand in equal astonishment.

Link slowly got up and tested his arm.

"Like it never even happened…"

"Well, at the very least, it'll be very useful to us." Urbosa commented.

Link and Mipha looked at each other. What she had done felt so familiar, like the two of them had been in such a situation numerous times. But stranger still, it felt so much deeper than that…

"Hey! Is the little guy okay!" Daruk called.

Everyone looked up to see Daruk coming back, his hands bristling with weapons.

"Yes, he's fine!" Mipha called back. "But are you hurt, Daruk?"

"Naw, those dinky little weapons didn't even scratch me." Daruk said, dumping the weapons at the others' feet. "Here. I figured you guys would need these things."

The group sifted through the weapons and took the ones that felt the most familiar to them: Revali a soldier's bow, Urbosa a traveler's sword and a hunter's shield, Mipha a rusty halberd and Link a rusty broadsword and boko shield.

"Well, now that we're 'properly' suited up, where were you taking us?" Revali asked Link.

"Right over here."

Link led them to the rocks where they found a pedestal just like the one back in the shrine. He put the slate in and the pedestal reacted accordingly.

"Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks." A voice said.

"Falling what-now?" Revali asked.

Suddenly, the very ground beneath them began to shake. Birds flew shrieking from the trees, woodland critters fled and even bokoblins took notice. A gargantuan tower burst up from the rocks and ascended skyward. Elsewhere all over Hyrule, other towers did the same. When the shaking stopped, the companions got back to their trembling feet to see a drop of light fall on the slate, creating a clear map of the Great Plateau. As the group tried to steady their nerves and digest what happened, the voice spoke again to all of them.

"Remember…try…try to remember…"

They all turned to look at the castle, which now had a shining light burning from the middle.

"You have been asleep for the past one hundred years." The voice told them as another rumbling shook them and the tower. Dark clouds swarmed around the castle as something with tusks and glowing eyes flew around the castle towers. "The beast…when the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end."

"Now then…" The voice continued as the light in the castle grew brighter, causing the clouds to disperse. "You must hurry, Link…Mipha…Daruk…Revali…Urbosa. Before it's too late…"


	2. Chapter 2

The group slowly made their way down the tower. When they reached the ground, a voice called out. The old man from earlier swooped down on a sailcloth as if out of nowhere and landed next to them.

"My, my…it seems we have quite the enigma here. This tower and others like it have erupted across the land, one after another." He said. "It is almost as though…a long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly."

"And I suppose you know nothing about this?" Urbosa asked suspiciously.

"Who, me? I'm just a simple hermit." The old man replied. "Incidentally, if you do not mind me asking…Did anything…odd occur while you were atop that tower?"

"We heard a voice." Link said.

"Well now! A voice, you say? And did any of you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?"

Link and Mipha began to respond but Urbosa stopped them.

"Hold it. We woke up in a strange chamber, not knowing who we are or where we are, least of all you. Why should we think you're an ally?"

"I must agree." Revali concurred.

"It seems I have some work to do as far as earning your trust goes." The old man sighed. "I suppose that is understandable." He turned away.

"I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle." He said, pointing. "That…is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching…"

The old man turned back to the group.

"I must ask you, courageous ones…Do you intend to make your way to the castle?"

"We do." Link said without hesitation.

"I had a feeling you would say that." The old man chuckled. "Here, on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to jump off, well…even for your goron friend, no death would be more certain. Or more foolish. It would be easy for your rito friend, but I highly doubt he'd be willing to carry you all."

"I should say not!" Revali sniffed.

"Of course," The old man continued. "If you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story."

"I don't suppose you'd hand it over? Maybe several, if you have them?" Daruk asked.

"Oho! Certainly! Why not? But there is no such thing as a free item in this world, you know. Let's see now…How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby? Come. Let me show you something."

The old man led them up a nearby hill and pointed out a strange object.

"Do you see that structure there? The one shining with the strange light? It began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place would house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you? Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe."

Revali and Urbosa looked like they wanted to argue, but Link, Mipha and Daruk were already on their way to the structure. The two caught up with them at the thing.

"This is preposterous." Revali grumbled as Link examined the pedestal outside the structure's door. "If he has the paragliders, why not just give them to us? Why embark on this fool's errand?"

"Not that I'm disagreeing with you," Link said. "But I can't help but feel this thing is important somehow."

Link placed the Shiekah Slate against the pedestal, which blinked on, as did a circle on the walkway of the structure. The stone bars moved aside, revealing a round steeping stone. The group squeezed themselves into the structure, the stone flared up and began to descend.

"You stepped on my foot!" Revali suddenly yelled.

"Sorry." Daruk mumbled.

The elevator stone stopped in a massive room with smooth floors and ebon walls, lit by blue torches. As the four stepped out to view their surroundings, a ghostly voice rang out.

"To you who sets foot in this shrine…I am Oman Au. In the name of Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial: the Trial of Magnesis."

"How many disembodied voices are there in this kingdom?" Revali huffed.

"Ignore it." Urbosa said. "If we're to find this so-called treasure, we're going to have to figure out this trial."

"Aw, geez. I've never been good at puzzles…" Daruk muttered.

"Perhaps that would be helpful?" Mipha suggested, pointing at a pedestal just like the one on the tower.

Link went over to the pedestal and put the slate in. The pedestal accepted it and a drop of light fell from a stalactite onto the slate. Its screen displayed a magnet-shaped rune. Link pressed the rune and the slate was engulfed in a magnet-shaped aura, which Link used to move to large metal plates in the floor, revealing a hole with a ladder and a stream of water.

"Well, don't that beat all?" Daruk said, impressed.

"Please. Anyone could've figured that out." Revali sniffed.

The group followed the new path through the cavern, Link using the new magnesis rune to pull a metal block out of a wall of stone blocks, and encountered something that looked like a metal three-legged insect. Before any of them could ask what it was, it began to shoot blue beams of light at them.

"Everyone get behind me! Daruk instructed.

The thing fired another laser beam. Daruk braced himself for the blast, and summoned a red honeycomb-patterned force field around him. The laser bounced off the barrier and flew back at the machine, blowing it to bits.

"Well, that's another skill that'll come in handy." Urbosa said. Daruk beamed.

Link used the magnesis rune to move another large metal plate so they could cross stone islands and get to a large metal door, which he also opened. Behind the door was a display case containing a shriveled gray corpse with long white hair, a large straw hat and the Shiekah symbol on its forehead.

"Well, that's an attractive sight." Revali dryly quipped.

Link shushed him and touched the barrier of light, which immediately burst apart.

"You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero." The ghostly voice said. "I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you…Please accept this Spirit Orb."

A purple orb flew out of the monk's body and was absorbed into Link's.

"May the goddess smile upon you." The monk said before his body vanished into light.

The group exited the shrine when a voice called out. The old man drifted down on his paraglider and landed in front of them.

"It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb. Well done!" He said.

"I'd ask how you knew that," Link said. "But clearly there's something big going on around here, so, paraglider. Please?"

"I encourage you to slow down for a moment, my courageous friend." The old man said. "The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine…It is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there."

"Look, we did what you asked, so the paragliders, please?"

"I have yet to finish speaking! Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago…Or so it is said. It is interesting, however, to think…how something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine. These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across this land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more. Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines…and I will give you my paragliders."

"That wasn't the deal!" Link protested, his companions looking just as outraged.

"Oh? Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I'm sure that won't be a problem for a bunch of go-getters like you! Since I'm feeling generous, I will also teach you a trick for finding shrines. It's always best to survey the area by looking around from a high point. Let's see here…How about you make your way to the top of the tower again?"

"Got it!"

"I admire your eagerness! But let me teach you something else before you go. Take a look at the map on your Sheikah Slate. See those blue icons? You should recognize the cave where you woke, the shrine you came from and the tower. You can travel instantly to any of those places with the Sheikah Slate.

The old man turned away.

"Or so I heard quite some time ago…I do not know if it actually works as such." With that, he ceased speaking.

Link pressed the Great Tower icon and he and the others were turned into blue light which dissipated and reformed on the tower.

"Now that is the only way to travel!" Daruk said.

"I agree."

The group turned and were shocked to see that the old man was there waiting for them.

"I'm surprised it took you all so long to catch up with an old man like me!"

"Did you…fly here?" Link asked, dumbfounded.

"Oho ho! So you think an old man like me needs to fly to stay ahead of you? I still have a few tricks left in me. Now then…I wanted you to join me up here so you could use this as a vantage point to search for shrines. Did you know about the scope on your Sheikah Slate? Look through it and you can stick a pin anywhere you'd like to mark on the map. The pins on your map serve as reference points for your travels. Just stick a pin anywhere you're interested in!"

"I got it." Link said.

"Go ahead and take a look if you feel so inclined to do so."

Link held up the Slate and looked through it. Sure enough, he could see a shrine on a distant cliff, atop a mountain and over by some ruins. He marked them all the Slate and led the others down the tower.

"That guy knows a lot more than he's telling us." Daruk said as he climbed down.

"Pardon my bluntness, but you're way too accepting of how he knows so much about the Slate." Urbosa said to Link.

"You're probably right, but he's the only living soul we've seen so far. Who else can we listen to?"

"I still can't believe you asked that old man if he could fly." Revali said.

"I don't suppose you have a better idea of how he could've gotten there before us?" Link shot back.

The group made their way to the shrine in the maze of ruined walls, having to climb said walls due to the doorway being blocked off by rocks. Link used the Slate to open the shrine and they all descended into the belly of the structure.

"To you who sets foot in this shrine…I am Ja Baij. In the name of Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial: the Bomb Trial."

Link darted over to a nearby pedestal where he received the remote bomb rune for the Shiekah Slate, allowing him to create bombs out of pure blue energy. Using the bombs, Link and company were able to blast through several cracked stone walls, made it to the monk who gave them another Spirit Orb before vanishing. When they made their way out back into the ruins, they passed a strange metal cylinder that suddenly reacted to their presence. Red lights flashed on all over it as a blue eye like apparatus on its rotating top focused on them. The group stared at it in curiosity.

"What on earth is that?" Urbosa asked.

A blinking red beam was emitted from the cylinder's eye and focused on them. It began beeping fervently before firing a blue laser at them. They barely had time to dodge the attack which flew past them and took out a sizable chunk of the wall behind them with a large explosion. Before they could regather their wits, the cylinder was already aiming and preparing to fire again. All they could do was run and didn't stop until they could no longer hear the cylinder's strange noises.

"What was that?" Mipha gasped.

"Bad news, that's what." Daruk said. "I've never seen anything that could attack like that. Good thing it couldn't move."

"Then we shouldn't worry about it." Link said. "Let's get to the next shrine."

They headed for the shrine on the cliff when they came across an old cabin with the old man sitting in front of a fire.

"Oho! Fancy that! So we meet again." The old man said when he saw them.

"What are you doing?" Link asked.

"This body of mine isn't what it used to be." The old man told him. "Recovering from a bout of hard work takes a while…If you're hungry, I have an empty pot you can use to cook yourself a meal."

"That sounds like a good idea." Urbosa said. "I don't think we've eaten since we awoke."

She, Mipha and Link gathered up some nearby apples and mushrooms and cooked them. They all began to eat, save for Daruk who was eating rocks he'd gathered up.

"Why are you eating rocks?" Revali asked.

"Dunno, it just felt natural." Daruk replied.

Before she spoke, Urbosa looked and saw that the old man had vanished while they'd been gathering food.

"We should discuss what we know and what we don't know."

"That's easy." Revali said dryly. "We know nothing and we don't know anything."

"If you could rest that sharp wit of yours for a moment, we were put in a shrine in a kingdom that was completely ravaged by a monstrosity that will destroy all that's left if it's not stopped in time. A voice told us we're the only ones who can stop it but we don't know why we were in that shrine to begin with, who that voice was or what exactly we have to do with all this. And all this is from an old man who won't give us any clear answers."

"I know all that," Daruk interjected. "But what else can we do? As far as we can tell, there's no one else on this plateau and he's got the only means of getting off it, so we really don't have a choice."

"I suppose using force on him is out of the question?" Revali said.

"I'm not that annoyed." Urbosa replied.

"Well then," Mipha said. "I suppose our only option is to complete his task and earn the paragliders."

"I think you're right." Link told her.

There was a long silence afterward. No one really wanted to keep playing the old man's game but they couldn't think of what else to do.

"It's late. We should get some sleep and finish this shrine business in the morning." Link finally said.

In agreement, the five extinguished the fire and retired to the old man's cabin, quickly falling into dreamless sleep.

Link awoke several hours later, while it was still dark outside. He noticed that Mipha was gone and exited the cabin where he found her staring out at the trees.

"Am I intruding on something?" He asked her.

"No, not at all."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…well, I have this nagging feeling that there's something important I've left behind. Not really something, more like someone."

"I'm sure we all feel that way.

"But I know that the answers aren't here. I can understand why the others are so frustrated with the old man. I am too, I'll admit. The answers to our questions are out there somewhere and he's got the only means for us to do so. Only he's making us do these shrines which are just adding to the confusion."

"I get why you feel that way but I can't help but feel that these shrines are pieces to the puzzle. If we keep going, we'll get the answers we're looking for." Link put a hand on her shoulder.

Mipha sighed. "I wish I had your confidence. I just feel like this whole thing is far bigger than we are."

"We just have to have faith in each other." Link assured her. "This may be a bit forward of me but when I look at you, I don't know why, but I feel like I can do anything."

Mipha turned to look at him and the two drew close. Dangerously close.

"I…I should go." Mipha said, quickly drawing away and going back into the cabin.

Link watched her go and looked up at the night sky, wishing he was half as confident as he had seemed.


	3. Chapter 3

He was completely surrounded by fog. Only the barest of landmarks could be seen in the distance, like the castle and the various mountains and towers. Link turned and saw a dark green wolf with glowing blue eyes sitting behind him. The wolf let out a howl and with a flash transformed into a skull-faced specter clad in golden and jewel-laden armor and wielding a sword and a shield bearing a symbol resembling goat horns. The shade went into a battle stance and Link drew his blade. He leapt at the ghost, who easily blocked the attack with its shield and then knocked Link down with the flat of its blade.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." The shade said. "Those were the very words told to me by the greatest of our lineage. I myself was no more than a common farmhand, yet found myself thrust into the role of hero. I beat back the threat of eternal darkness, defeated the usurper king responsible and the hand pulling his strings. I was even blessed with the most infuriating and amazing woman with a golden heart and a smile that could put the sunset to shame.

"What does that have to do with me?" Link asked.

"It has everything to do with you, boy!" The shade snapped, pointing its sword at him. "You yourself are on a similar path. The world I saved so long ago faces a danger perhaps even greater than the king of twilight. But your circumstances are far different. You are not only tasked with fighting a great evil but you must do so with the loss of your memories and a band with the same afflictions."

"And where are you going with this?"

"You must be a leader, boy! Keep their spirits strong, ensure their safety and let them know you are their equal, not their superior! By building strong bonds between each other, you will need not fear any foe, even the darkness."

"So, this was all just a big mystical pep talk? I hope it was important."

"You've got a smart mouth, boy. I hope that you can retain it in the trials to come. May the Light Spirits protect you." The Shade said as he backed away into the fog.

"The who?" Link asked as the fog rolled in to completely envelop him.

Mipha was completely surrounded by fog. Suddenly, before her appeared a dark-skinned one-eyed imp with a horned helmet appeared before her. The imp giggled and suddenly transformed into a tall woman clad in black robes with a hood over her fiery red hair and black veil covering her face, save for her laughing eyes. Mipha couldn't help but be transfixed by the woman's obscured beauty.

"He looked just like that when he truly saw me for the first time." The woman chuckled. "He was always so cute."

"Who are you?" Mipha asked

"I'm afraid my name wouldn't mean anything to you." The woman sighed. "It's been so long since the two of us saved this land. Then again, I've forgotten how long it's been since the two of us left. Time no longer has any meaning for us."

"Why have you come to me?" Mipha asked warily.

"I was in a position like yours. My hero was also given the task of saving this land from destruction. And I was with him every step of the way. Watching him fight, giving everything he had to save his world and mine…it's no wonder I fell in love with him. When we parted, I was certain we'd never see each other again but he found me. Despite the impossible odds, we were reunited and got our happily-ever-after."

"Um, I beg your pardon but that doesn't really answer my question."

"Oh yes, forgive me. Beings like us fall into nostalgia far too easily. I came to tell you that he's going to need you. You may not know why now, nor does he, but your journey is going to be long and difficult. An endeavor like the one ahead is best dealt when it's shared, something my hero and I learned firsthand. Your friends have the courage and skill to defeat the beast but you and him…well, I see so much of ourselves in you two.

"Are you trying to tell me…"

"Who, me? I'm just a long-deceased spirit. Anyway, the bottom line is stick close to him. You're both going to need each other, more than you know. And with that, I'll take my leave. See you later!"

Abruptly, Mipha awoke with the others with the sun shining through slats in the cabin walls. They stepped outside to find Link asleep in front of the remains of their campfire. The group had breakfast and, after cutting down a tree to act as a makeshift bridge across a canyon, continued on in their shrine quest.

"All right, the next shrine is atop that mountain." Link said, checking the Slate.

"Well, this shan't be a challenge for me! See you at the top!" Revali said cheerfully as he knelt to take off. When he jumped, a sharp updraft of wind sent him shooting into the air.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that but I'll take it!" He called to them. "Don't any of you drag your feet now!"

"Showoff." Daruk grumbled.

"Just ignore him and start climbing." Urbosa said.

Daruk and Urbosa began scaling the mountain at impressive speed, but Mipha hesitated.

"Um…I hate to be a hindrance," Mipha said. "But I don't think my kind were made for climbing."

Without a word, Link took Mipha on his back and began to climb with her, Mipha blushing furiously the whole way. They eventually made it to the top, met with amused looks from their compatriots.

"A bit forward, don't you think, Mr. Chivalrous?" Urbosa teased as he let Mipha down.

Link ignored her and opened the shrine. They accessed the elevator and descended.

"To you who sets foot in this shrine…I am Owa Daim. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial: the Stasis Trial."

Link went over to the nearby pedestal and unlocked the stasis rune on the Shiekah Slate. Using it, Link was able to temporarily freeze the gear of a revolving platform and large stone balls that blovked their progress, allowing them to reach Owa Daim and receive his Spirit Orb.

"All right, team, just one to go!" Daruk said upon exiting.

"Hmm." Link said, looking at the map. "That's one pretty far. The other side of Mount Hylia. Here, I think I can get us a quicker route."

He pressed the symbol and the group was warped back to the Shrine of Resurrection. From there, they made their way to the River of the Dead where they were struck by the sudden change in the elements, especially Link, Mipha and Urbosa.

"Why is there snow here?" Urbosa complained as she shivered. "We can't possibly be up that high!"

"Regardless, we gotta do something or you guys are gonna freeze." Daruk said.

"Here." Revali said, suddenly brandishing three warm doublets. "I nicked these from the old man's cabin. His journal said he'd give this to whoever could make him a certain recipe, but I thought 'To hell with that'."

"I'll let it slide." Urbosa said as she put on her doublet.

"Now you can't say I never did anything for you."

Now protected from the cold, the group followed the river until they reached a broken bridge. Link used the magnesis rune to move a metal door and used it to replace the missing piece of the bridge. They crossed it and made their way up the mountain on the other side until they reached the shrine at the peak and accessed it.

"To you who sets foot in this shrine…I am Keh Namut. In the name of Goddess Hylia, I offer this trial: the Cryonis Trial." The familiar voice of the shrine monk said.

Link added the rune to the Shiekah Slate, allowing him to create pillars of ice from watery surfaces. Using it, they were able to reach high ledges and boost open gates to make their way to Keh Namut and receive his Spirit Orb. As they stepped out of the shrine, a voice called out. The old man dropped down in front of them on his paraglider.

"With this, you have now acquired all of the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this plateau. Oho ho! Extraordinary! That means…it is finally time. It is finally time for me to tell you all everything. But first…"

He turned away.

"Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there."

He turned back to them and became enveloped in ghostly light.

"Do you understand? Where two lines connecting the shrines would cross…There…I will…be waiting…" The old man as vanished right before their eyes.

"What the dookie?" Daruk said in bewilderment.

"So that's how he did it." Link breathed.

"Yes, don't give us an exact location or anything!" Revali snapped at the spot where the old man had been.

"It's the Temple of Time, you big whiner!" Urbosa told him before turning to Link. "Link, do your thing. It looks like we're finally going to get answers and we're long overdue for them."

Link nodded tapped the Shiekah Slate and the five of them were warped to the Shrine of Resurrection. From there, they practically flew back to the Temple of Time. Once inside, they approached the goddess statue, which became enveloped in holy light.

"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their Spirit Orbs." An unearthly voice said. "I can offer you great power. It appears you have claimed four Spirit Orbs. In exchange for four Spirit Orbs, I will amplify your beings."

The Spirit Orbs drifted out of Link's body and into the statue. Then red hearts and green drops slowly descended out of nowhere and onto each of the five, strengthening their lifeforce and stamina.

"Go, and bring peace to Hyrule…" With that, the heavenly light vanished and the voice was stilled.

The old man's voice called out. They looked up and saw him gazing down at them through a large hole in the roof.

"The blessing of the Goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see…Here I am…Get up here-quickly!"

"The roof?" Daruk grumbled. "What, did the ground make too much sense?"

Nevertheless, the group climbed the outside wall of the temple and carefully maneuvered across the roof to the steeple where the old man was waiting.

"Well done there, young ones." The old man chortled. "Now, then…the time has come to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was…the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists."

The old man let out a brilliant glow, forcing them to shield their eyes. When they were able to look again, the old man was floating several inches off the ground, clad in the regalia of a king.

"It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago." Rhoam said. "It was then that my life was taken away from me. And since that time, here I have remained in spirit form. I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memories were still fragile. So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me."

Rhoam turned to look at Hyrule Castle.

"I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago. To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also…a prophecy.

"'The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.' We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers that fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land.

"We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics. One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. I was clear that we must follow our ancestors' path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions-a name that would solidify their unique bond.

"The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon…But nay…Ganon was cunning, and responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us. The Champions were all beaten to the brink of death. Those residing in the castle were not so fortunate. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess…And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon. However…The princess survived…to face Ganon alone.

Link and the others gaped at the ghost, completely dumbfounded by his tale. It was so unbelievable, yet they all had something inside telling them it was all true.

"That princess was my own daughter…My dear Zelda." Rhoam continued. "And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end…That knight was none other than you, Link. And you, Mipha, Revali, Urbosa, and Daruk, you were the four Champions and pilots of the Divine Beasts. You fought valiantly when your fates took an unfortunate turn. And then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself.

"Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help. However, my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land. Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you all…But I am powerless here…You must save her…my daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon. Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head to the castle directly at this point. I suggest…that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness.

"Follow the road out to Kakariko Village." Rhoam instructed, pointing out at the distance. "There you will find the elder, Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your Shiekah Slate for the precise location of Kakariko Village. Make your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north…Go on…here are the paragliders, just as I promised.

Link took the paragliders from the king and passed them out, nobody taking their eyes off the specter.

"With that, you should be able to safely fly off the cliffs surrounding this area. And…I think that's it. I've told you everything I can…Link…All of you…You must save…Hyrule…"

And with that, the king vanished. Link and his companions stood for a while, staring at where he'd been.

"Geez, heavy." Daruk finally said.

"Can it really be true?" Mipha quietly asked. "Is that what really happened to us? To Hyrule?"

"As horrifying as it seems, it's the only explanation." Urbosa said, her voice as grim as her expression. "The ruins all over the plateau, the clouds around the castle, our being in the Shrine…it can't be anything but the truth."

"But if it is," A visibly shaken Revali said. "It means we failed in our duties. The king said all in the castle perished. How many others were killed? How much damage was done? All because of us?"

Revali's words hung in the air like a black cloud.

"We can't think about that!" Link suddenly declared. "You heard what the king and Zelda said! We are this land's only hope! We can't change what happened back then. But if we keep obsessing about it, we'll never be able to save the future."

"The little guy's right." Daruk said. "We screwed up royally back then but all we can do is try to redeem ourselves and we can't do that by moping. So I say we get down from here, get some rest and head for Kakariko first thing in the morning, like the king said."

The group got down from the temple roof and went back to the king's cabin, all in silence. When they'd gotten settled in, they eventually drifted off, save for Link. He was too busy staring at the ceiling, trying to get rid of the icy pit in his stomach. It occupied him so much, he almost didn't notice coming over and clinging onto him.

"Please," She quietly pleaded before he could say anything. "I know we still don't know everything about each other or what's happened but I need this. Please."

Link's face softened and he returned her embrace. Only then did they both finally sleep.


End file.
